Chapter 18 - Grayson
Grayson stood in the woods behind the community building, his fists braced against a low tree branch and tension coiling in his body. He couldn’t stop replaying Elena’s parting words.
You have to prove it.
The words echoed with more weight than he’d expected, settling into a space already crowded with doubt. Elena’s accusations had cut deep because they weren’t baseless. She’d exposed the very thing he was trying to bury—the raging fear that he wasn’t enough to keep Cora safe.
He stared down at his hands, the same hands that had failed Emily when she’d needed him most. No amount of strength, no perfectly executed mission, had been enough to bring her back.
The parallels with Cora were impossible to ignore, and it terrified him.
He’d thought severing his emotions from his responsibilities would make it easier to protect people.
With Cora, though, the bond didn’t let him stay detached.
Every moment they were together felt like a countdown to when he’d lose her, too.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, dragging him back to the present. He glanced at the screen. Zane’s name flashed across it.
“Yeah?” Grayson answered.
“Back at base,” Zane replied. “Got something you’re gonna want to hear. You outside?”
Grayson didn’t answer before he hung up, blew out a breath, and pushed away from the tree. He walked briskly toward the building, dreading what Zane had uncovered but needing to know.
Inside, Zane sat at the table with Ryder and Zach. Grayson pulled out a chair and asked, “What did you find?”
“They’re ramping up,” Zane said without preamble. “Theodore’s crew has started snatching witches and female shifters. Nearby towns have already been hit, and it’s only a matter of time before they come for Bellefleur.”
Ryder frowned. “Why witches and shifters specifically? What’s the play here?”
“Leverage,” Zane explained. “They’re taking witches to sell in the auctions—high demand, high payoff.
But the shifters? That’s different. They’re trying to weaken the packs around here.
Break alliances, stir chaos. Bellefleur’s shifters are some of the strongest in the region.
Taking their women weakens them in every way that matters. ”
Grayson’s stomach twisted. He knew this strategy. It was straight out of Theodore’s playbook and was devastatingly effective.
“How many have they taken so far?” he asked.
“At least a dozen between the neighboring towns,” Zane explained. “The locals are trying to keep it quiet, hoping they can handle it on their own, but it’s only making things worse. Theodore’s feeding on their fear, using it to stay one step ahead.”
“And we’re next,” Ryder added grimly.
Zane nodded. “Yeah. Bellefleur’s the prize. They want to make an example of this place—show everyone that even the strongest packs and covens can fall.”
Grayson’s hands clenched on the table. The thought of Cora being dragged into this was enough to make his blood run cold. He’d seen the
“Why now?” Zach asked. “What’s changed?”
Zane hesitated, glancing at Grayson before answering. “It’s not just about the money. Theodore’s got a personal grudge against Kane here. Hitting Bellefleur is about sending a message—to him and anyone who stands with him.”
Grayson heaved out a sigh. He’d known that going undercover to infiltrate Theodore’s network years ago had put a target on his back, but he hadn’t realized just how far Theodore would go for revenge. And now that target was on Bellefleur, on Cora.
“This is on me,” Grayson said, his voice quieter than usual.
“Don’t start with that martyr crap,” Zane told him. “Theodore would’ve come for Bellefleur eventually, with or without you in the picture. All you did was speed up the timeline.”
“Exactly. I gave him a reason to escalate.”
“And now you’ve got a reason to stop him,” Zane countered. “Sitting here beating yourself up isn’t going to help anyone. What’s the plan?”
Grayson leaned back in his chair with his mind racing.
They couldn’t just wait for Theodore to make his move.
They needed to be proactive, anticipate his next steps, and cut him off at the knees.
But every plan came with risks, and the thought of putting anyone else in danger—especially Cora—was almost unbearable.
“We tighten security around town,” he announced. “Double patrols on all the main roads and vulnerable areas. Get the witches and shifters working together to fortify the wards. And we need a solid evacuation plan in case things go south.”
“And the auctions?” Ryder asked.
“We take them out—all of them. But we can’t move until we’ve got solid intel. Zane, you’re going back in.”
Zane raised an eyebrow. “Back in?”
“If we’re going to shut this down, we need to know where they’re holding the captives and when the next auction is. You’re the only one who can get that close without raising suspicion.”
Zane nodded. “Got it. I’ll play nice with the bad guys a little longer. Anything else?”
“Yeah,” Grayson replied. “Don’t get caught.”
Zane saluted mockingly before standing. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
As the others filtered out of the room, Grayson stayed behind, staring down at the map spread across the table. Every line and marker felt like a ticking time bomb, a countdown to when Theodore would make his move.
And this time, Grayson didn’t know if he could stop it.
Grayson stepped out of the community building, and his head was pounding with the weight of Zane’s report.
The plan they’d cobbled together felt fragile, like trying to hold water in his hands.
Every decision carried a risk, and the thought of putting anyone—especially Cora—in harm’s way again made him sick.
The walk back to Cora’s apartment did little to clear his thoughts.
He moved on autopilot, retracing familiar streets as his mind wrestled with doubts and contingencies.
By the time he reached her door, his chest was tight, and he had the unshakable sense that he’d already lost control of the situation no matter what he did.
As soon as he stepped inside, the faint smell of something herbal hit him. He froze in the doorway, and his line of sight landed on the small table in the kitchen. Cora and Elena were hunched over it. Both focused on a mortar and pestle that Elena worked with practiced precision.
Grayson’s eyes flicked to the assortment of jars and dried herbs scattered across the table. It didn’t take much to figure out what they were doing.
“Seriously?” he said, his voice cutting through the quiet like a blade.
Cora and Elena both looked up. Cora’s expression was one of surprise and guilt, while Elena’s was unapologetically defiant.
“Good to see you too,” Elena responded as she set the pestle down.
Grayson stepped inside, closing the door behind him with more force than necessary. “What the hell is this?”
Cora stood and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”
“You’re working on the potion again,” Grayson accused. “After everything we talked about? After everything we just went through?”
Cora’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t back down. “I told you I wasn’t giving up.”
“And I told you it’s dangerous,” he snapped. “But apparently, that doesn’t matter to you.”
Elena cleared her throat, drawing his attention. “Maybe this isn’t the time for a lecture, Grayson.”
“Then when is the time?” he shot back. “When she gets herself killed? When this whole thing backfires, and we’re left cleaning up the mess?”
Cora stepped between them. “That’s enough. This is my decision, Grayson. You don’t get to dictate what I do.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t keep putting yourself at risk,” he retorted. “You’re playing with forces you don’t understand.”
“She’s not doing this alone, “Elena explained. “I’m helping her.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Grayson asked. “You’re enabling her.”
Elena didn’t flinch. If anything, her spine lengthened, and she stood up even straighter. “I’m supporting her. Something you might want to try instead of steamrolling her every chance you get.”
“I’m trying to protect her,” but apparently, I’m the only one who cares about that.”
“Protecting someone doesn’t mean controlling them,” Elena countered. “It means trusting them to make their own choices, even if you disagree.”
He wanted to argue, to tell Elena she was wrong, but the truth lodged in his throat like a stone.
Elena stood and brushed off her hands. “I think I’ll leave you two to sort this out.” She looked at Cora. “Call me if you need anything.”
Cora nodded, and her gaze followed Elena to the door. The moment the latch clicked shut, silence fell over the room.
“What were you thinking, bringing her into this?”
“She offered to help,” Cora said simply.
“And you thought that was a good idea?” he pressed. “Dragging her into this mess?”
“She’s my friend,” Cora snapped. “And she actually listens to me, which is more than I can say for you.”
Grayson flinched at the accusation. “I listen. I just don’t agree with you.”
“Exactly. You don’t agree, so you dismiss me. Like my choices don’t matter.”
“They matter. They matter so much that I’m trying to stop you from making one that could get you killed.”
“I’m not a child, Grayson,” she shot back. “I don’t need you to save me from myself.”
“Maybe not,” he admitted. “But I can’t stand by and watch you throw yourself into danger without doing something.”
“I’m not throwing myself into anything,” she argued. “I’m trying to take control of my life. Something I haven’t been able to do since all of this started.”
Grayson took a step closer. “And what about me? What happens to me if you go through with this and it all goes wrong?”
Cora faltered, but she was quick to wave her hand at him. “You’ll be fine. You always are.”
“You don’t know that. Do you think breaking this bond won’t hurt me, too? You think I’ll just walk away unscathed?”
Her eyes widened, and surprise flashed across her face. “I didn’t—”